The Cabin

The snow rested on the top of the oak and maple trees while the brown bark still showed below. A similar effect covered the evergreens with green pine needles. Sap affect covering the evergreens with their strong trunks made smooth frozen drops of the rough bark surface. The snow on the ground lay untouched by animal or human wanderings. The natural blanket shimmering as light made its way through the snow-covered branches, making the ground look like glass. The only sound that could be heard was that of solitude, the cool nothingness that warms the heart and comforts the soul. As a cardinal flew overhead it sung its beautiful song of heartache and yet it still sounded joyous. How could this be more peaceful?

That was the one thing Jennifer Claymont found herself wondering, as her hand touched the cold surface of the window. To her it seemed like some magical land, one that she only read about within some fantasy novel…like one from C.S. Lewis. But this was no made up place, created by some author’s imagination it was real. She had no idea why she had always been drawn to this place, beyond its natural beauty that it did hold. This was the place she came to when she needed to get away from the madness of the reality she lived in. Jennifer just stood there staring out at the solitude that was before her, finding herself wanting to run out into the silence of the forest and be surrounded by its beauty. Even though her tracks would disrupt the tranquility, it was something that she wanted to do. Yet, her fear held her back from doing it. A fear which she had no idea why it her so much. She could feel the chill from the glass of the window running through her flesh, awakening her senses. The feeing of the cold seemed almost refreshing to her touch, as she stood there letting the fear slowly subside from her body.

Within the silence of the cabin that she was staying in, she could feel an almost overwhelming feeling about it. As if some how she had enter another world, another realm, and yet didn’t know why. She could hear the sound of the wind blowing gently outside, as she wished that she could feel the breeze upon her face, while her bare feet submerged themselves into the coldness of the snow. Just to walk within the silence of the woods, enveloped in its beauty and wonder. And also to find out what secrets it held, no matter what it was. And this forest seemed to emulate such a feeling of that. Jennifer had no idea what it could be, only that this sensation was there in the air, growing stronger as she stared out at it, making it impossible for her to forget about it. The more that she stood there looking out at the winter scene, the stronger that she found herself feeling that sensation in the air, pressing against her flesh.

“What is happening to me?” she whispered.

A question, which she had found close to impossible for her to answer, yet, one that she knew she would have to try to soon enough. She stepped away from the window and then turned and made her way over to the couch that sat a couple feet away from a stone fireplace. Sitting down on it, her eyes looked up at the dark wood mantle, where a painting of a young woman, wearing a white flowing nightgown, sitting in front of a large mirror was shown. All that the portrait portrayed was her and her reflection in the mirror. The background in the reflection was dark, hiding everything that could be around her. In a way, Jennifer always wondered what could be underneath the shadows? What it could be that it didn’t want to reveal? So many times, when she came to this cabin, she found herself sitting where she is now, staring at the painting for hours. And having that feeling that there was something more there than what she was seeing, but never able to prove it. She wanted to know what was so special about this painting that drew her to it? Even though that seemed to be something that was ridiculous, for some reason she was starting to believe it. The more that she stared at the painting, the more she found herself wanting to know what secret it held. That was if there was a secret at all to be found.

“Come on Jennifer, you know that it is only your imagination playing tricks on you. It’s just a painting and nothing more than that.” She thought.

Even though what she thought was the truth, something deep within her soul made her think that there was something else, some other reason behind it. She had never been the type of person who would except simple logic for things that she could not explain. Always believing that there had to be some other reason there, that everyone else had over looked. But what could it be, that was the one thing that she really didn’t know. The silence around her seemed to grow even stronger as the soft glow from the blazing fire in the fireplace illuminated part of the room. Her eyes watched the flames dance across the burning logs, as she felt herself almost falling into a trance because of it. Just watching it, made her wish that she had someone with her to share this moment with. Even though she had this strange sensation pressing against her, she still thought of it as romantic. The normal scene, which she had seen in so many romantic movies and read in romance novels. But she hadn’t been in a relationship for two months now. Ever since Tommy, her ex-boyfriend had left her for another woman. Ever since then, she had put herself into solitude, not wanting to ever get involved with another man again. But there were a few moments that came to her, times like this one, that made her wish that she had changed her mind back then. Even if it would mean getting hurt again by some man, it would had been worth it, just to share a romantic moment like this. She started to wonder if that made her foolish, or desperate? But deep down, she knew that she had been both, but that was something that she couldn’t let herself worry about now. All that she could do was to try and forget about it, and relax. Not only because of just the sudden feeling that she was aware of, but because of the hardships that she had to deal with. The fact that she had lost her job, the arguments she always had with her parents, and just the normal pressures which people have to deal with each day. But there was something else that bothered her, something that she was not able to really except yet. Mainly because she was not sure if what she thought, was really true. It would be a couple weeks before she could find out what the truth was, even though she felt that it ad to be true. As her eyes continued to stare at the blazing fire, her hand reached down and touched her stomach, as a tear started to run down her cheek.

It was then she heard something coming from outside the window, where she had stood a moment ago. At first she thought that it was just the wind that she had heard blowing outside, yet there was something that made her believe that it was something else. To her, it almost sounded like the sound of a small child crying out there, so faint and distant. Jennifer wasn’t sure if that was what she had really heard. For why would a child be out there in the coldness of the forest? And more important, how could it be that they could have gotten there, since there were no other cabins around for miles. For that was the one thing that her parents had liked about the place when they bought it. In a way, Jennifer found herself liking that too, when she wanted to get away from the madness of her life. Now though, there seemed to be something else that drew her back to this cabin. And the painting seemed to be part of that reason why she always came back here, sitting for hours, trying to figure out what was behind it. Jennifer always knew that there was a history behind a painting, or even a reason why it was created. But there was nothing like that with this one. Not even the artist signature at the bottom right hand corner.

“Jennifer, you are thinking too much.” She whispered to herself.

It was then that she heard the noise again, and this time she was able to hear it slightly clearer. She was able to tell that it was a child crying softly. Why she was about to hear it through the closed window and howling winds, and from the distance that she was at, was something that she could not understand. Slowly she stood up and made her way back to the window that she had been staring out at. The only thing that she expected to see when she returned back to the window was the perfect solitude scene of the winter forest that had captivated her at first. Even though the window was only a couple feet away from where she had sat, it seemed that it was taking her longer to get to it. Her fingers twirled the ends of her long amber hair as her green eyes stayed focused on the window in front of her. Maybe it was taking so long because she didn’t want to find out that she might be wrong with what she had thought. And if that were the case, then she would find herself facing so many questions, which she knew there were no answers to. Her hands clutched tightly as she tried to gain her courage to look out the window again. Jennifer knew that there was nothing out there, nothing that she had to fear. Or was there? That was the one thing that she was not sure about, and because of it, she found herself becoming scared just about that now. She felt like some small child who was afraid to walk into a dark room because of the belief that there was some sort of monster in there. Waiting in the shadows to jump out and take her away. But Jennifer was no longer a child and she never believed in monsters or even the boogeyman. In her mind the only monsters that really existed were those people who always tried to hurt her, any way that they could. She stepped over to the window and looked out it. Determined that she would not see anything out there, but what she had seen a moment ago.

But when she did look, a shocked expression appeared on her face as her eyes widened in disbelief. For standing in the perfect untouched blanket of snow on the field in between the cabin and the edge of the forest, stood a small child with long dirty blond hair, her bangs falling in front of her face. The girl was wearing what looked like a fancy dress that a girl would wear at a wedding or a communion ceremony. The only thing was, the fabric of the dress was tattered and torn, as if she had survived some sort of house fire or something else so horrible. Even though she couldn’t see the girl’s face, she was sure that her face had been dirty too. In a way, the girl reminded her of the girl from the movie The Ring, even though her hair was blond and not black. The one thing that she found odd, besides the fact the girl was standing there alone, was that there were no tracks to be found. No footprints, showing from what direction she had came from. How this could be seemed impossible? How could she have gotten there without leaving any footprints behind her? Even though she couldn’t see her face, Jennifer could feel that the girl was staring directly at her, as the girl’s arms reached up in front of her, toward Jennifer’s direction. It was then she could hear the girl’s voice, or at least she thought that she could. But it wasn’t coming through the glass of the window, no, it was coming from inside the cabin, echoing around her. And this time she could hear it clearly, listening to the little girl’s voice, so sad and nearly ready to cry from the sound of it.

“Why do you want to leave me? Why are you going to let them take me away from you? I thought that you were going to love me forever.” The girl’s voice echoed around her.

“Who are you? What are you talking about? What did I do to you?” Jennifer said, as she looked frantically around the room.

But the only answer that she could hear was the silence of the room, which seemed to grow even stronger. That was, if there really was a way for that to happen. She wasn’t sure about that, or about anything right at that moment. For her mind seemed to be losing all modes of logic that she had came to believe for a moment. Even though it was only a brief moment, it felt like it lasted for so much longer. She could hear the sound of the girl’s voice once again echoing around her, repeating the same thing again. She knew that if this were to last much longer, she would surely go mad from it. Not just because of the voice repeating the same thing over and over again, but because she had no idea what it could really mean. The fear inside her began to swell quickly, clouding her mind of what she should really do. Before she could even thing of what was happening to her, she let out a scream as her body became weak and she collapsed to her knees.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she yelled out, or at least she thought she did, into the empty room.

All at once the room became silent and that strange sensation had lifted from her. She stayed there kneeling on the floor, her body shaking as the tears ran down her cheeks. As her body remained motionless, she tried to make herself believe that this was nothing more than a dream. Some bizarre nightmare that she was in, which she was not sure how she could get out of. Then she got to her feet, and then turned around to face the window once again. When she did, the girl that had been standing out there in the field was gone, just as mysterious as she had appeared. Jennifer just stood there, trying to understand what had just happened to her, even though none of it made any sense. Had it all been nothing more that a dream, like she had been trying to make herself believe? Or maybe her mind was playing some sort of trick on her? Either one of those answers would have been a logical explanation for it. But something deep within her soul, didn’t want her to believe it, even though she didn’t know why.

Slowly, she turned and made her way back to the couch, as her mind continued to try and find an understanding about what was going on. But no matter how hard she tried, there seemed to be no answer that she could find. She could feel her anxiety building within her, making her head throb, as if it was going to explode. A pain surging through her, so strong to the likes of that which she had never felt before. When she sat down again, the soft glow from the fire lit up her pale, worried face, as her body began to shiver.

“Why is this happening to me?” she thought.

It was the only thought that seemed to stay within her mind that was clear enough for her to understand. And yet, there was no answer that she could find. The way she stared at the fire, made it seem as if she was lost within the almost hypnotic way that they swayed and danced over the logs. From the one closed bedroom doors on the other side of the room, she could hear the sound of her friend Veronica and Matt, Veronica’s boyfriend, fooling around inside. Their moans and groans of passion along with slight laughter, came from the other side of the door, as Jennifer herself feeling such anguish from it. Even though she had heard them doing that so many times before in the past, this time it seemed to upset her, more than just uneasy and laugh nervously. Making her wish that she had someone who she could share such intimate moments with. How she missed the feel of a man’s gentle touch, the feel of their kiss on her lips and the passion, which they would share together. But she was alone and scared about what had just happened to her. Even though she could have just went into her bedroom, so she wouldn’t have to hear them, yet she didn’t. There was something that was keeping her there, sitting there within the shadows of the room. As if there had been something that she purposely wanted to block out of her mind for one reason or another. The only thing was, she had no idea what that could be. And in a way, part of her was afraid to discover it. Even though she didn’t know what the reason could be.

Her eyes looked up at the painting once again, and a shocked expression appeared on her face. For within the mirror was the image of the little girl that she had seen outside. Jennifer knew that the little girl hadn’t been there before, she was sure of it. The painting had changed, and now there she was on the other she had, when she had appeared in the middle of the snow covered field. The only thing that was different was the fact that her hair wasn’t covering her face. Jennifer could see the innocent look on her, as she showed such sorrow on her face. And just like the young woman, it seemed as if she was looking right at her. In her mind she could still hear the girl asking the same questions. Ones, which Jennifer knew to well, she couldn’t answer. Her lips quivered as her eyes stayed locked on the painting in horror. For some reason, she felt as if she recognized the little girl, even though she had no idea why. It was one of those feelings that haunted her senses, like a feeling of da-ja-vu, which she was not able to ignore.

“Why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this?” she whispered as she started to cry.

It was then there were a creaking sound of a door opening and the faint sound of footsteps that started to come closer to her. For a moment Jennifer didn’t react to it, as her eyes stayed focused on the painting. Even though she heard the sound of someone coming toward her, she didn’t want to take her attention away from the painting. Trying to understand how the girl could have appeared in the painting all of a sudden, or was it that she had not noticed it before. But for some reason she felt that wasn’t the case, for Jennifer wasn’t the type of person to really overlook the details of anything. And with the painting she had looked at it so many times before, and there was no little girl in it before. It was then she heard the sound of Veronica’s voice calling out to her from the side of her, yet she didn’t react to that either.

“Jennifer, are you alright?” Veronica asked in a worried tone.

Jennifer turned her head in the direction of where Veronica was standing, her eyes looking so shallow and lost. She didn’t say anything at first and from the way that Veronica looked at her, Jennifer could tell that she knew something was wrong. The only thing was, she couldn’t tell her about it, mainly because she had no idea what was happening herself. Just thinking about what she had just experienced brought about such confusion that she couldn’t handle. If she were to tell her about what she had seen, she would think that she was crazy. Even though right now, she was questioning her own sanity at the moment.

“I’m fine, why do you ask?” Jennifer asked, trying to act as if nothing was bothering her.

“You’re crying, tell me what’s wrong?” Veronica asked as she sat down on the couch next to her. “It’s because you heard Matt and I fooling around in the other room.”

Jennifer didn’t answer her, for how could she tell her that she was jealous of hearing them as they had sex, knowing that there was no one there for her. But who was she to tell her that, when Jennifer was the one who invited them with her. Still she knew that she had to tell Veronica something or else she would keep asking her about it, till finally she would be forced to tell her. The only thing was, she had no idea what was happening to her. For all that she knew, what she had seen could have been nothing more than a figment of her imagination. When she looked at Veronica, she wanted to cry even harder, feeling as if she wouldn’t be able to hold back. Still, she knew that she had too, for it would just add to the suspicion that she already had about her.

“Tell me Jennifer, I am your friend and I hate to see you like this. What is bothering you?” Veronica asked.

“I…I guess I am sort of upset when I hear you two going at it. I just wish that I had someone that I could share something like that with.” Jennifer said.

“You will Jennifer, you just haven’t met the right guy yet.” Veronica said and then hesitated for a moment. “Tell you a secret….I have been thinking about dumping Matt after we get back to the city. He is just getting to kinky for me.”

“What do you mean by that?” Jennifer asked.

“He just suggested that you join us for a threesome. I told him that you weren’t into things like that and to leave you alone. But I have no idea if he will, so I thought that I would just warn you, in case he does something.” Veronica said.

Jennifer sat there looking at her in disbelief and horror of what she had said. In her mind she couldn’t believe it, for Matt had never showed her any type of interest like that before. Or at least, she thought that he hadn’t. For the last two months she had been walking in a mist of her own despair, so she was not aware of the way Matt could have been looking at her. Still it wasn’t something that she really wanted in the first place. Jennifer wasn’t the type of person who could let himself do something so strange and in her eyes forbidden. And anyway, Veronica was her friend and couldn’t do something as perverse as that.

“You have to be joking. Why in the world would he even think that I would want to join in with something like that?” Jennifer said.

“He saw how down and alone you have been for the longest time and thought that would cheer you up.” Veronica said.

“And what do you think about it?” Jennifer asked.

In a way, Jennifer knew what she would say, for Veronica had always had a wild streak in her. Yet, she never would let it affect Jennifer. For she was nothing like Veronica and never really wanted to be. And because of it, she always left her out of any oddities that she would be interested in. As she looked at the painting again, staring at the image of the little girl who was staring back at her. But this time she could see a look of anger on the little girl’s face, her eyes glowing with a fiery rage. And like before, whispering voice echoed around her, so clear and soft that Jennifer could swear that the girl was right next to her. I will not let them harm you. Even though you want to abandon me, I will not let them harm you. Her stiffened instantly as her heart started to pound even harder. She looked around her, but the only one that was around her was Veronica, who was looking at her with an odd expression on her face. Making it obvious that she didn’t know what was happening. Or if she did, she wasn’t going to make it obvious to her. Jennifer wanted to ask her about it, but she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to ask it.

“What is wrong Jennifer? Come on, tell me what is going on.” Veronica said.

“I am not sure what is going on. Did you here that voice? I am sure you had to have heard it. It was so clear, like someone whispering right next to us. You had to have heard it.” Jennifer said in a panicked tone.

“Jennifer, there is no one else here but us. Are you sure you are alright?” Veronica said in a worried tone.

Jennifer sat there wondering if what she said was true. If there really was no one else here but them, even though she still felt different. Still, she couldn’t figure out if this wasn’t something of a game that Veronica was trying to play with her. She never would have invited Veronica and Matt up to the cabin if she had known what he was thinking about. The only reason that she was there was so that she could meet this man face to face, the man whose poetry and emails had touched her heart so much. Making her want to believe that she could have a second chance at love. But what would he think when he discovered what they were trying to do? She knew that Jason, the man she had been talking to online, wasn’t into anything that perverted. And would probably be furious with them for even thinking about something like that with Jennifer. Then once again the voice came back so soft like a whisper, floating in the stale air in the room. Tell them not of me, for they will not believe you. They are not who they seem to be. Trust me, for I am part of you, as you are part of me. Jennifer had no idea what the voice could have meant by that, but knew that part of what it said was true. She knew that she couldn’t trust Veronica and Matt after what she had told her. The only thing that she hoped was that tomorrow would come quickly and Jason would show up at the front door. For then they would not bother her anymore with their perverted request.

“There, did you hear it? It was there just again. You must have heard that.” Jennifer said.

“Jennifer, there is nothing there. The only thing that I can hear is the wind outside. There is no one else in the room but us.” Veronica said.

“It was Matt, wasn’t it? You two are trying to scare me into agreeing to do what you want.” Jennifer said in a sudden angered tone.

Veronica just sat there looking at her with such a shocked expression on her face. She couldn’t believe that Jennifer was saying such things. It didn’t make any sense why she would be acting this way, and yet Veronica couldn’t think of what to really say to her. The look on Jennifer’s face was that of sheer rage, something that she had never seen before.

“Why are you acting this way? Matt is sleeping and even if he was trying to do something to scare you, I think he would have been a little more obvious than that. You know how he isn’t that creative in trying to make plans like that.” Veronica said, and then hesitated for a moment. “The voice is nothing more than your imagination doing this to you.”

“No, it is real. I have no idea why I know this, but I do. And for some reason it is drawn to me, as if there is something that it wants from me. But, I just don’t know what that could be.” Jennifer said.

Veronica just looked at her with a discouraged expression on her face, as if she had grown tired already of hearing all that Jennifer was saying. But no matter what, Jennifer was not going to stop trying to make her believe what she knew was true.

“Look, I know that you are angry with Matt and I about what I had said that we were thinking about. But you don’t need to be trying to play with my mind like this. I know that what I told you freaked you out, but this is totally uncalled for. Trying to make me believe that there is something else in this cabin with us.” Veronica said in a disgusted tone.

Jennifer just looked at her coldly, not really sure what was happening to her, only that she had to make her believe the truth. The child’s voice continued to repeat the same thing over and over again. Taunting her to the point where she feared of what would come about. For some reason, she felt that it had already had started, that whatever this thing was had done something that she was not aware of. But yet, she felt it. Felt that this thing, had taken a life, someone that she felt was such a threat to her or that had caused her pain. The only thing was, she had no idea who that person could be. It was then that Veronica’s cell phone rang, which she had left on the end table near them. As she reached for the cell phone, Jennifer could hear the sound of the child’s voice say a name. A name that she had tried to forget for a few months, thinking that she would never hear that name again. Tommy Williams. The name of the man who had broke her heart by deceiving her with another woman.

Jennifer sat there and watched as she answered the phone. Watching as her face turned from such disgust to sudden shock and fear. Jennifer knew already what was being said to her even before Veronica had said anything to her. Veronica stayed on the phone for only a minute or so, but it felt like so much longer to Jennifer. In a way, she was preparing herself for what would come about. Hoping that what she believed to be true would end up being wrong. Yet, something deep inside her told her that would not be so. Even though she had no idea why she was feeling that way, there was nothing that she could do to stop the feeling, which brewed within her. It was then that Veronica hung up the cell phone, and for a moment just sat there staring deftly in front of her. Her life seemed almost lifeless and so pale, as she remained motionless and silent. Jennifer knew that she had to find out what was going on and who had called, to ease her own torture that was building within her.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“It was a friend of mine, Dana. She just told me that Tommy is dead. There was some sort of explosion at his house and he wasn’t able to make it out in time. He’s dead.” Veronica said as a tear ran down her cheek.

It wasn’t a surprise that Veronica would react that way, for Jennifer had known that she had been secretly sneaking around with him after Jennifer and Tommy had broke up. But to Jennifer the terror that she felt wasn’t the fact that he was dead, but because the voice had told her before Veronica had picked up the phone. What was going on here? Why is this happening to me? The two thoughts, which raced through her mind that she, knew too well that she could not answer. Or maybe it was that she was too afraid to really see what the truth was. The only thing that she could do was to sit there with an expression that made it seem as if she really didn’t care about Tommy at all. In a way, she really didn’t care about him. For how could she feel any remorse to a man who would have used her like he had.

“I guess he got what he deserved.” She said in a cold tone.

“Jennifer, how could you say such a thing? I mean I know that he cheated on you and hurt you, but it doesn’t mean that he should die.” Veronica said in a saddened tone.

The way Veronica looked at her, made it seem as if she believed that Jennifer had something to do with it. But that was so ridiculous to be heard. How in the world would she have been able to do anything like that, when she was here at the cabin with them?

“The way you are talking it almost seems as if you think I had something to do with it.” She said and then hesitated for a moment. “He did hurt me and cheated on me, but I wouldn’t try to kill him. I mean I wouldn’t even know how to do it.

“But I remember you saying that after he had left you. Saying that you wished that he would die so that you could go on with your life.” Veronica said.

“I know that I said it, but there is no way I could ever do it. And anyway, the time when I had said it was right after he had left me. So how could you not blame me for venting out my anger and pain? I wasn’t thinking clearly, like anyone would be in that situation.” She said.

Jennifer knew that she was right; for there was no way she could ever hurt anyone. Mainly because she had never gotten to the point where she would do something like that. Most of the time she would have just used her talent in art to vent out her rage, pain and whatever else she was feeling. But most of the time, people would think that she was weird because of the images that she would create. Things, which no one had ever seen before, like a nightmare that suddenly, appeared into this world. Most other times she would be creating images which others would want her to do. Illustrations for different authors that the publishing house’s clients that she would have to work with. And they never had any type of disappointment about her work, saying that it was beyond their own expectations. But that was something that she really wasn’t worried about right now. The only thing that she found herself concentrating on was where the voice was coming from? And why was it that only she could hear it? More questions, which she found herself unable to answer, that was if there really were any answers to be found. She knew that just from the way that Veronica was looking at her, she knew that she did not believe her. Even though she didn’t understand why she would doubt her, she just ignored it. For she knew to well that it really didn’t matter.

“ I can’t understand how you could even think that I could do something like that. I mean, you have known me since high school, you know that there is no way I could do something like that.” She said as she felt the rage building even stronger in her.

And as it did, there was a sudden rush of pain that surged within her crotch. A burning sensation that she had never had felt before. She didn’t show any kind of sign of feeling the pain, for it would just add questions that Veronica would ask her about.

“Maybe you’re right. I guess the shock of Tommy ‘s death just messed me up. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you of something so stupid.” Veronica said, smiling slightly.

Jennifer told her that it was all right, yet she didn’t really believe her. Because she knew to well that Veronica had always told people what they wanted to hear, even though she never really meant it. So, she knew that she had to be cautious with her, but couldn’t let her know what she felt. Veronica sat back looking at her as the shock of Tommy’s death slowly faded away. Even though she didn’t shed a tear, the expression on her face made it seem as if she wanted too. Jennifer wasn’t sure if it was an act or if it was truly genuine. For there was so much about Veronica that made her seem so complex, almost mysterious in a dangerous way. Mainly because whenever she had talked to Jennifer about Tommy, she had always had this attitude that made it seem that she really didn’t care that much about him. That he was nothing more than just someone who she would go to when she had the urge for sex. And that was all she had ever mentioned to Jennifer about, was what sexual act that they had gotten into at that moment. Even though it was arousing in a way, she still thought that it was shameful and disgusting. For she had always believed in the romantic side of love, which was probably why Tommy had been the first who was able to make love to her. He made her believe that he really did love her, not just lusting after the physical pleasures, which they could feel. Veronica told her all of that, in a way, to make her feel jealous that she had lost him. But it was just the opposite, she was glad that he was gone. She found herself thinking that if she were to have to look at his face again, she would literally become physically sick. That was how much she hated him, and why she really didn’t care that much when she heard that he was dead.

“I know that you and Tommy had your falling out but it doesn’t mean that you….” Veronica started to say.

“Falling out! Falling out, he was cheating on me with some other woman. And then he was sleeping with you the whole time. And you had the nerve to rub it into my face, as if you didn’t even know that he had been with me. That I had feelings for him the whole time, that hearing you tell me about your sexual antics was killing me inside.” She suddenly screamed and then was silent for a second as she turned her attention away from her and then turned back. “Or maybe that was what you wanted to do? Now I am starting to get the picture. You wanted to hurt me like that, so that way I would be so confused and so miserable that I would have agreed to your little plan.”

Jennifer’s eyes were wide with anger as she stood up and took a few steps toward the fireplace. Her fists clutched tightly, shaking slightly as she tried to regain control of her thoughts. She knew that she had went to far, that she shouldn’t have blown up, for that wasn’t the way she had held herself. But Veronica had been the one who had brought it out in her. Even though she wasn’t looking at her, she knew that she had a somewhat sarcastic smirk on her face. That’s it; you are playing right into my hands. I want you to blow up so that way I can make you feel guilty. And then when you do, I can make you do what I want. That was what she thought she was thinking while she was looking at her, which she knew too well that she was behind her back.

“I have no idea what you are talking about. I mean…yeah, I was fooling around with him behind Matt’s back. But, Matt was doing the same thing to me. And I know that it was wrong of me to be telling you the details of my sex life with Tommy, but I thought that you were over him. So, I figured that it was all right. But if you think that I would be doing that just to push you over the edge, just so Matt could have this thee some, you are dead wrong. I would never do anything like that to hurt you.” Veronica said in an almost honest tone.

Jennifer just stood there looking down into the flames, not knowing what exactly to believe. Her mind seemed to drift back to the voice, which had called out to her, and the little girl that had been standing out in the middle of the field in the snow. None of it made any sense to her, and yet there was something about it, which made it impossible for her to forget about it. As if she had a part to play with the little girl standing out there. Only what? That was the one thing that she was not sure about. And now dealing with Veronica, just added to the pressure that she was feeling.

“You would never hurt me? That seems ridiculous, because you did and there is no way that I could ever forgive you for it.” She said without even turning around.

“Why are you acting this way? It happened months ago and I hadn’t got together with Tommy till after he had broke up with you. So, there is nothing that you should really be mad at me about that.” Veronica said, trying to act as if it was something that was no big deal.

Just hearing her say that made the anger within her grow even stronger. How she wished that she would just go back to her bedroom and leave her alone. The only thing that she could think of that kept a slight edge of sanity in her mind was the man that agreed to meet her at the cabin. The man who she had been talking to on the phone and online for so long, whom she hadn’t seen yet face-to-face. His name was Jason Edwards, a man who was a popular published writer. She had read his work and had found herself even more entranced in him even more. If he hadn’t promised to meet her here, she knew that she would have gone mad right at that moment. How she wished that he was here with her right now, just so she could feel his arms around her and let her know that everything would be alright.

“ Fear not, he will arrive tomorrow morning and take you away from all the problems that you are dealing with. But now I will take care of the problem that you are dealing with.” The voice whispered again.

What the voice could mean she had no idea for sure, but it brought about a sense of fear within her once again. In a way, with the anger that she was feeling right at that moment, she really didn’t care what the voice could mean. The only thing that she wanted was for all of this to end. To end this madness that she was now finding herself in and go back to the life that she was living. Even though it wasn’t the most exciting life someone could have, it was better than what she was dealing with right now. She was so enraged by listening to her that Jennifer couldn’t do it anymore. And why should she have to? It was Veronica’s fault that she was angry in the first place. Her fault for bringing up Matt’s idea for a three some and telling her all about how she had been fooling around with Tommy after he had left her. And Veronica had the nerve to act as if she had no idea why Jennifer was so upset.

“I want you and Matt gone in the morning. I can’t stand the sight of you two anymore. And while you’re at it, you can move out of the apartment as well. I am sure I could find someone else to be my roommate.” She said without turning around to look at her.

“You can’t be serious. If we leave, you are not going to have anyway of getting back. You will be trapped here and I can’t do that to you, even if you do hate me.” Veronica said.

“It’s a lie. She is just saying that because she knows that she had nowhere to go. And she is trying to trick you into lowering your guard, so she could take advantage of you.” The child’s voice said, echoing around her.

“Maybe I want to be alone, away from you and that pervert that you call a boyfriend. You don’t think I know what he is doing behind my back, when I think that I am alone. The times he watched me take a shower or, as he always put it, accidentally walked in on me when I was trying to get dressed. I came her to get away from my problems, not add to them. And with you two here I am not going to be able to do that.” She said as she turned to Veronica, staring at her with a fiery glare of anger in her eyes.

“He was just joking around, that’s all it was. Nothing for you to really get that upset about. He just has a strange sense of humor.” Veronica replied in an uneasy tone.

It was the type of tone that someone would have in their voice when they were hiding something. She knew that Veronica was, even though she knew to well that she couldn’t prove it. What were those two up too? Probably planning to do something to her while she was sleeping? Maybe she would let Matt go into her bedroom and force himself on her while Veronica watched? Those thoughts seemed to be crystal clear in her mind and so strong that she couldn’t ignore it, by saying that it was nothing more than paranoid thoughts. But would she really sink that low to do something like that? A question, which Jennifer really didn’t want to find out the answer too. Veronica just sat there looking at her with a blank expression on her face, as if she wasn’t sure what Jennifer was going to say.

“You can’t change the past. What happened is something that you are just going to have to let go of. I will talk to Matt in the morning and tell him to knock it off with what he has been doing to you. Right now, you are angry and you are not thinking straight..” Veronica said, trying to sound logical.

“Don’t believe her. She is a liar, liar, pants on fire. She is going to hurt you mummy. Let me take care of this stinky faced liar.” The child’s voice said.

She was just about ready to say something, when she stopped and a thought entered her mind. One that sent a cold chill down her spine, stiffening her body. Mummy? The voice said mummy. Did it mean mommy? As she thought about it her hand went down her body, just below her stomach again. Feeling the pain suddenly surging through her right when she touched it. This time her face showed the pain, which she was feeling, as her body cringed and she bent forward slightly. Veronica didn’t seem to do anything about it, as if she really didn’t care. Or maybe she thought that Jennifer was making it up, just for attention. The voice came back again, repeating the same thing. Within the moment of her pain, she found herself unable to think about anything except one words. Yes. Yes. Yes. Once that thought had left her mind, the pain suddenly faded away as mysteriously as it had came. Yet, now she knew what the pain was, and in a strange sort of way, started to think she knew who the little girl was. But before she could even reach that thought, they heard the sound of Matt screaming in the bedroom. He only did it once and then there was dead silence. Veronica stood up and they both made their way to the bedroom door. When they tried to open it, it stayed shut, as if something was pressing against it. Forcing it to stay closed while Matt went through whatever ordeal he was.

“What is going on? Why won’t this door open?” Veronica said in a scared tone.

“I don’t know. Did Matt lock it from the inside?” she asked.

“No, he was asleep when I left him. And anyway, you know that there isn’t any locks on these doors.” Veronica said as she looked at her.

They tried to push the door open as hard as they could, but didn’t seem to be able to. Feeling the rough surface of the door, scratching into the flesh of there hands. Feeling the splinters from the old wood surface poking into there fingers. They heard Matt scream one more time, this time it sounded more agonizing than before. But there was something else that they heard which they really didn’t expect. It was the sound of a child’s laughter, cold and cruel, coming from the other side. Veronica just looked at her as if she knew that Jennifer had something to do with this. Then the smell of smoke and burning flesh started to seep out from underneath the door. The whole time the child’s laughter grew louder and louder, as if now it was within the room with them. Liar, liar, pants on fire. It sounded just like the way she had remembered hearing it when she was a little girl. When she used to joke around with her friends when they told a fib. But why was this girl saying that now? And why was it that if there was fire, why wasn’t it coming into the living room as well?

“What the hell is going on here? Where is that voice coming from?” Veronica said.

“I don’t know.” She replied.

The only thing was, was that she did know, or at least she thought she did. But in her panicked state, her mind wouldn’t reveal that to her, not yet anyway. All she could do was to step back and stare deftly at the closed bedroom door, wondering what it could be that was going on. The rank odor of burning flesh, a smell that neither of them truly had ever known before now, had slowly faded along with the smoke. And the child’s voice was no longer able to be heard around them. They just stood there within the silent shadows of the living room, the only sound that could be heard, was the burning of the logs in the fireplace. Even though they wanted to go inside, something kept them from doing so. It was the fear of what they would find on the other side of that door. At what condition Matt would be in when they would go inside. They had only stood there for a second, and then started to slowly make their way to the bedroom door. As they did, Veronica, who normally would have been the brave one out of the three of them, was shaking nervously as she tried to speak. But all that she seemed to be able to say was one thing over and over again. Why is this happening? Jennifer was almost ready to tell her why don’t you tell me so that we both can know. But it was something that was too sarcastic for her to do, considering sarcasm was something that she never really did. “Better to be honest and caring to everyone. Let the jerks in this world be the ones that are always cocky.” Something that she had remembered her father saying to her a few times on the weekend when he would come home drunk, which wasn’t that often. The only thing that she did was to remain silent as her eyes stayed focused on the door.

When they reached it, they stood there in silence, their bodies unable to move, as if paralyzed by the thought of what they would find. Jennifer knew that whatever they would find behind the bedroom door would be because of that little girl’s voice they had heard. Her eyes looked over at Veronica, who just stood there, trembling and trying to hide the terror that she was feeling.

“Are you going to open it, or are we just going to stand out here all night?” she said in a sarcastic tone.

“Why don’t you? Why do I have to do it? This is your cabin after all, you were the one who invited us up here.” Veronica said in a defensive tone.

The thing was, they had invited themselves up here, when she had told Veronica that she had planned to come here for a short while. Believing that it would be a wonderful mini vacation that they could take and be able to get to know each other better. But Jennifer wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it right now. From the way that Veronica looked right now, if she were to say something about it, it would have put her into a total metal breakdown. Even though there was still the chance that would happen anyway. At least that was what she thought would happen, taking in account the way she looked right now. Jennifer didn’t say anything in response as she turned to the door and started to push. This time though there was nothing that seemed to be resisting this time though. When the door swung open, the rank odor, which Jennifer could only relate it to the smell of rotten meat, loomed in the air. Lying on the bed, a couple feet from the door was Matt, or more like what was left of him. He had been decapitated, his head resting on the pillow next to his body, staring directly at them. His crew cut hairstyle and a single scratch on his cheek, which had a stream of blood running down his cheek. His head had been the only thing that seemed to be recognizable, for his body had somehow been burned so bad that it looked like a sculpture made of dark ashes. His blood on the sheets and the floor had turned black as coal. The moment Veronica had seen this; she turned and raced to the bathroom. Jennifer knew that the sight of it was making her sick, for she felt the same and yet it didn’t seem to bother her at the moment. She turned around to go and see if Veronica was going to be all right, as she closed the bedroom door. The only thought that ran through her mind was that Matt had gotten what he deserved, even though she didn’t know how it had happened in the first place. The way his body had looked was as if he had been thrown into a furnace that was set on high. And why was it that nothing else in the room was scorched? None of it made any sense to her, and in a way she really wasn’t sure if she wanted to try and make sense out of it. As she made her way across the living room to the bathroom to check on Veronica, she thought about the way they had found Matt’s body. She had no idea why it had seemed to stay in her mind as it did, as if there was something there that was out of the ordinary. Of course, it all was strange to begin with, but there was something else that stuck in her mind. It was his head that was lying on the pillow. It looked as if someone or something had intentionally placed there, before doing what it did to the rest of his body. For the head had not been burned at all, at least the side of the face which they were able to see. As she passed by the fireplace her eyes looked up at the painting once again. It was then that she stopped suddenly and stared at it in such disbelief and horror. For within the painting was the image of Matt’s body, his hands holding a platter with his head on it. The expression on his face was that of sheer terror. And then her eyes went beck to the little girl in the painting. Now it seemed that she was smiling, as if she had done something that she was proud of. The girl’s eyes gazing directly at Jennifer, as if it was staring right through her with an almost wicked glare. Just the sight of it brought a sense of fear running through her soul, one that she had never felt before. She had no idea why this was happening, and knew that there was no way that she could stop it. It was then she remembered what the voice echoing around her in a soft whisper. She is going to hurt you mummy. But I am not going to let that happen. What it could mean she wasn’t sure, but found herself unable to move at the moment. She could hear the sound of Veronica throwing up in the toilet and crying out why was this happening. Even though she knew that she should go to her, should try and console her she didn’t. F*** her. She brought this upon herself. She should have never tried to take advantage of me. It was a thought that she never believed she would be thinking, but she was. It was then that she could hear the sound of what she thought was her choking. To Jennifer it probably was nothing more than another wave of vomit that was coming up and then she would hear her doing it any second. Instead though there was the sound of something falling to the tiled floor. Sounding like raw meat being thrown onto the floor with a lifeless thump.

Jennifer instantly made her way to the bathroom, wondering what Veronica could be up to. When she opened the door, she saw her lying on the white tiled floor, blood flowing from her mouth and nose, as her eyes stared lifelessly in front of her. Once again there was something written in her blood on the floor right above her head. Dirty! Dirty, nasty girl! A tear began to fall down her cheek as she stood there looking at Veronica’s dead body. Even though it looked as if she had choked on her own vomit, she knew to well that it was whatever was behind the voice that had done it. And now she was alone, and probably the next to die from this thing. Slowly she backed away, as she returned back into the living room. Knowing that when she looked at the painting again, she would probably see Veronica’s image in it. But why? Why was this happening in the first place? That was the one thing that she was not sure about. The one thing that now she was so desperate to find out. She found herself unable to think about anything but the painting and what she would see when she looked at it. Would she see herself in it? Maybe brutally murdered as her friends (or so called friends) were. But the thing was, she was already in the painting. She was the young woman in the white, flowing nightgown, who was staring into the mirror. For the longest time she had always wondered who the woman would be? And why it was that she had been drawn to the painting? But who was the little girl? That was the one thing that she found herself wanting to know even more.

“She called me mummy. Mummy…Mum…. Mum…Mommy. That’s what she was trying to say.” She thought.

She had stopped in her tracks as she suddenly felt the pain surging through her womb once again. Throbbing for a brief second like the rhythm of a tiny heartbeat. That was when she had realized what was wrong with her. Actually, not wrong at all, but a surprise that she not aware of. She had seen Tommy one other time since he had left her, a month ago. That had been when he had forced himself on her. Probably because Veronica had denied him the pleasure that he wanted, so he came to her to please his urges. In a way she had thought that she might be, but always found an excuse that could explain it. Now though she knew for sure what she was feeling and why. Now though, she knew for sure what she was feeling and why. She was pregnant and it was Tommy’s baby. That was why she was going to go to the doctor and find out. And if it were true she would got an abortion, so that she would not have anything that would remind her of him. But now it seemed that it wanted her unburned child was fighting back. Letting her know that it wanted to live and show its loyalty to her. And that it was a girl, her unborn daughter who would protect her mother, even while it was still within her womb. It all seemed like some ridiculous thought to believe, and yet somehow she knew that it was the truth. As she made her way back to the couch, she could feel a sudden warm sensation come over her. One that she had never felt before, like some sort of invisible blanket that wrapped around her, protecting her. Once again she heard the girl’s voice whispering around her, so soft and gentle. Please don’t let me go mummy. I love you that is why I did this for you. Don’t let me go back to the other side and be forgotten. Please.

Her eyes looked up at the painting one last time, seeing the image of Veronica, her flesh pale with blood flowing from her nose and mouth, and eyes staring lifelessly at her. And behind her was a man with short, jet black hair, his body looking more like a burnt cinder, who had once been her love, the father of her unborn child. The man that was named Tommy. When she looked at the girl, her image had changed. The dress that she wore was clean and untouched, pink with ruffles, and pearls sewed around the neckline and sleeves. Her hair was now clean and flowing over her shoulders as a sad expression appeared on her rosy-cheeked face. It was then that she realized what the little girl was saying. That if she were to abort the child she carried, its spirit would end up trapped within the realm of the lost and the damned souls. Another tear fell from her eyes, as her bottom lip quivered. For the second time in her life, she could feel her heart breaking. And this time there would be no way she could ever recover from it, if she let it happen. In her heart, she knew that she couldn’t do it, that she had to keep the child.

“No, I am not going to leave you. I will be your mommy forever.” She whispered as a smile formed on her lips.

Her eyes stayed focused on the image of the girl, as her expression changed. A smile appeared on her lips and then she began to fade away from the painting. The pain that she had felt within her womb was gone now, replaced by a sudden feeling of tranquility and being complete. Then within a blink of an eye, the painting had burst into flames, as the sound of her friends screamed out in agonizing horror. The flames quickly catching to every part of the room, its heat growing so strong within seconds, making her feel like she was in an oven. Jennifer got to her feet and started to make her way to the front door of the cabin. The smoke so thick that it started to choke her as her eyes burned and watered, almost blinding her. When she got out of the cabin, the sudden rush of the cold winter air and bright sunlight hit her. She was blinded for a moment; everything around her was nothing more than a blur. She walked through the deep snow toward the road, feeling her body shivering, as her mind became a world wind of a million random thoughts. Her body was growing weak as she tried to focus on the snow-covered road in front of her. She could see the blurred image of what she thought was a car, and then heard a voice, which was so familiar to her. A man’s voice, calling out to her as she fell to her knees and then fell forward, face first into the snow. The last thing that she remembered was someone turning her onto her back, and then the man’s voice, Jason Coppell, the man she was suppose to meet, calling out her name.

When Jennifer woke up, she found herself in the emergency room of a hospital in Calvert, the town that was ten miles from the cabin. Her head pounded in agonizing pain, as she looked up ay a nurse with medium length blond hair, who was looking down at her with a pleasant smile that she probably gave every patient that she took care of.

“I see we are awake. You are really lucky that someone found you. You would have died out there in the woods with this cold weather.” The nurse said.

“My baby…. is my baby…. alright?” she asked in a weak voice.

“Yes, your baby is fine. When we found out that you were pregnant, we made sure that it wasn’t in any harm. You are lucky that someone found you.” The nurse said.

“Who…who found me?” she asked.

“He is right outside, he said his name is Jason Coppell and that he knows you. Do you want to see him?” the nurse asked.

“Uh Yeah.” She said as a smile came on her lips.

As the nurse walked away, Jennifer thought of how this really wasn’t the way she wanted to meet Jason face to face for the first time. She knew that she had to look a fright, and it really wasn’t the first impression that she really wanted to show him. But she was grateful he had showed up when he did, even though he had said that he was arriving tomorrow morning. For if not, she would have been dead. It was then that she heard his voice, as she looked over to see him coming toward her. He was even more handsome than his pictures that he had sent her on her email. His short brown hair was jelled back, making it look as if he had just gotten out of the shower. Which was something that she had told him on the phone that she really thought was a real attractive quality when he looked that way. He wore a dark navy blue suit, which made him look so distinguished.

“Jennifer, are you alright? You really gave me a scare. I thought that I lost you before I got a chance to know you better.” He said in a caring tone.

“Talk about making a first impression. I bet you will never forget this one for a long time.” She said laughing slightly, and then hesitated for a moment. “Jason, I am so sorry. This isn’t the way that I really wanted us to meet.”

“As long as you are all right, that is all that matters to me.” he said, “Are you hurt?”

When he said that, he leaned forward and she cold smell the aroma of his cologne, which enticed her so much. For a moment she had almost forgotten what he had asked. She really didn’t want to tell him that she was pregnant, for then he would think that she was trying to trap him. And that was the last thing that she wanted to do. But it was something that she had to let him know about, and if he were to leave, she would just have to except it.

“No…”she said and then hesitated for a moment. “I’m pregnant.”

She expected Jason to look shocked by that and maybe even try to break up with her. The only thing was, he didn’t do either of those things. His hand reached out and held onto hers, as he leaned over and kissed her so gently.

“It’s alright. If this relationship goes the way that we are hoping, I will be willing to help you raise your child with you. I love you and will do whatever I can to make you happy.” He whispered.

“And I love you too.” She said as they kissed again.

And that was what he did for her. A few months after first meeting each other, they got married and Jennifer had given birth to a baby girl, who she named Emily. She had never told Jason what had happened in the cabin that day and probably never will. But that is something she knew that she would never forget. Even if she were to try it would be impossible to do.

THE END!